Webinars

See below for presentations from webinars hosted by, or involving, the Cultural Orientation Resource Center (in reverse chronological order):

Orientation Assessments: New and Revised Resources for the CO Continuum (February 26, 2015)

This webinar, designed for national and local refugee resettlement agencies, as well as overseas CO providers, addresses key issues regarding the structure, content, and delivery of orientation assessments with refugee clients.

Training of Trainers: Resources and Strategies (February 24, 2015)

This webinar is designed for all those who provide training and orientation to refugees, whether domestically or abroad, and whether formally or informally. The webinar addresses the design, contents, and use of the newly-developed Training of Trainer resources: Using Refugee Training and Orientation: A Guide for Service Providers and the Cultural Orientation: An Introduction for Trainers video.

Orientation Assessments: Delivery, Consistency, and Validity (November 3, 2014)

This webinar, designed for national and local refugee resettlement agencies, will address key issues regarding the structure, content, and delivery of R&P orientation assessments with refugee clients. Sanja Bebic of the Center for Applied Linguistics (CAL) will frame the purpose of assessing refugee understanding of R&P orientation, while Julie Sugarman of CAL will discuss modifying the model CAL assessment or development of other assessments, implementing assessments, and creating program norms around assessment practices.  There will be significant time for questions and answers after the initial presentations.  

Assessing the Effectiveness of Reception and Placement Orientation: Content and Use of the CAL Assessment Toolkit (February 12, 2014)
Sanja Bebic, Director of the Cultural Orientation Resource (COR) Center, provides background regarding the development of the new Reception and Placement Orientation Assessment Toolkit, aligned with the R&P CO Objectives and Indicators and the R&P CO Curriculum, Making Your Way. Dr. Julie Sugarman, Senior Research Associate at CAL, discusses components and uses of the Assessment Toolkit.

Development and Use of "Making Your Way: A Reception and Placement Orientation Curriculum" (December 17, 2013)
The Cultural Orientation Resource Center presents on the development of the PRM-funded publication "Making Your Way: A Reception and Placement Orientation Curriculum", discussing the use of the curriculum's User’s Guide, units, and activity plans, addressing the flexibility of the curriculum, how to use the adaptations provided, and how to identify parts of the curriculum best suited to meet the needs of your R&P orientation program.

Overseas Cultural Orientation: Updates on CO Worldwide (December 3, 2013)
The Cultural Orientation Resource Center presents on commonalities among the CO programs worldwide and Cultural Orientation Coordinators at Resettlement Support Centers around the world shared basic information about their overseas CO programs for U.S.-bound refugees, as well as highlights of their program's content, delivery, caseload, or other features.

Overseas Cultural Orientation: Updates from CO Coordinators Worldwide (November 27, 2012)

Cultural Orientation Coordinators share information about overseas CO programs for U.S.-bound refugees, the caseload(s) their programs serve, the messages their trainers emphasize during CO delivery, and considerations for domestic service providers.

Community-Based Organizations in Orientation (September 27, 2012)

Information from three ethnic community groups that provide refugee orientation in the U.S., the COR Center on community-based organization survey responses about orientation provision, and Southeast Asia Resource Action Center about technical assistance to support emerging ECBOs.

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Orientation for, and About, Refugees with Disabilities (May 31, 2012)
Challenges and strategies for life as a disabled refugee (whether in a country of exile or in the U.S.), the delivery of orientation to refugees with disabilities, and conveying to refugee communities how people with disabilities are viewed in the U.S.

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

The Refugee Health Orientation Continuum: Overseas and Domestic Perspectives (December 5, 2011)

This webinar addresses the health component of orientation, as delivered overseas and within the domestic resettlement context.  

Employment Readiness Overseas and Domestically (September 22, 2011)

The webinar includes information about and trends in employment readiness training, replicable program models, easy strategies, as well as common pitfalls to avoid as you prepare job seekers for their first job in the U.S. 

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.  

Orientation for Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs) (March 31, 2011)

This webinar discusses the orientation of Unaccompanied Refugee Minors (URMs) regarding resettlement in the United States and the URM program, as well as resources available for URM and general youth orientation.

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Orientation of Refugee Seniors (September 28, 2010)

This webinar discusses promising practices for providing orientation and facilitating the adjustment of refugee seniors; meeting the needs of refugee seniors once they have arrived in the U.S.; the activities and services provided to seniors; and how those activities and services facilitate orientation and adjustment. 

 Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.

Resettlement of Refugees from the Darfur Region of Sudan (January 14, 2010)

 This webinar provides information about the background of the Darfuri refugees in Chad, characteristics of the group, their environment in exile, the way in which Cultural Orientation is being delivered to them, the questions and concerns they raise in class, and considerations for their domestic resettlement.

Funded by the Office of Refugee Resettlement.